She's Not Here nonprofit plans relaunch with app

She’s Not Here, an organization giving rides to female students after dark, is officially relaunching this semester.

When walking at night, Founder Macy Brown said that she usually called a friend on the phone or held her keys between her knuckles to protect herself. Scared to take an Uber home alone, she said she found herself wishing for a safer option. 

“I knew that was a problem, and that it wasn't just an isolated feeling that I had,” Brown said. 

Originally a way for Brown to raise money to study abroad, she said the organization’s name became a play on words of the local bar He’s Not Here. The small business, She’s Not Here, was a service giving rides on the weekends. 

“So when I first started, it was quite literally me and my little green Prius,” Brown said. 

Now, She’s Not Here is a nonprofit organization where women can apply to drive fellow students. After a hiatus in service, President Bhaumi Shah said the program will be returning with some new features. 

“Our mission is to really just make it a safe and comfortable environment, and to build a community of women who are supporting each other and helping each other get around safely,” Shah said.

As part of the relaunch, Shah said a new app will be available for download as soon as it is approved by the App Store. She said the design is similar to the Uber app in that students can find rides and get the contact information of their drivers. Drivers can be booked in advance or found at the time needed.

According to the She’s Not Here website, the service will operate from Thursday to Saturday, from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Rides will have a fixed rate of $12 for every pick-up or drop-off. 

Shah said that $10 goes toward paying the driver, while the other $2 goes toward paying any app fees. However, she said they hope to secure a grant to pay for the fees and reduce the cost of rides.

To become a driver, students must provide their driver's license and confirmation of auto insurance to prove that they are eligible. They then answer an application question about why they want to be a driver and how they fit into the organization’s mission. 

Rides are usually restricted to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area, but distance is up to driver discretion. 

To make this relaunch possible, She’s Not Here officially became a nonprofit in October 2024 with the help of the UNC School of Law. 

Thomas Kelley, the director of the Community Development Law Clinic, said that he found out about She’s Not Here through Carolina Student Legal Services and decided to represent them as clients. His clinic, providing free legal services, guided the organization to becoming a 501(c)(3) certified nonprofit. 

“It was pretty clear that they really had a good idea, they really had a mission and they were determined to kind of launch it and have an impact,” Kelley said. 

According to their website, She’s Not Here will be providing incentives, like gift cards and merchandise, for their drivers. They will also hold social events to build the She’s Not Here community, with the organization planning to start services this spring, after approval from the App Store.

Shivalee Patel, vice president of the organization, said that the app should make ride-sharing more streamlined when compared to the original framework run through Instagram direct messages. 

“I want people to use it and take advantage of it,” Patel said. “I know people take Uber home all the time, but this is an actual safe UNC female operated organization, so I really hope that people kind of invest in each other.”

@TulsiAsokan

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